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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chest — of your body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chest — of your body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fall — to drop
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chest — a box
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. date — the fruit
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fall — the season
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. saw — the tool
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com